Domino
by makkimouse
Summary: NO ONE is a side character in this post-series tale. Everyone's trying to live normal lives when the three yamis return. The group is brought back together and their lives become a tangled web. Drama, comedy, angst, romance, and lots of lemons are weaved into this long tale of love, friendship, and teenage hormones. Warnings: Tons of yaoi and one (totally bearable, I promise!) OC.
1. Rebirth

Disclaimer: I am trying really hard to make this a comprehensive fic with no plot holes. This has been on my mind for years but am finally putting pen to paper, if you will! So enjoy, even if no one reads this it will be so much better to get it out! :) This takes place immediately after the main series ends. Please read my tags below if you're sensitive to certain topics.

TAGS: Rape, Incest (Not really in my mind but I know some people are weird about a certain pairing so I'm just gonna put 'incest' here anyway), Yaoi, Lemons lemons lemons lemons, BDSM

* * *

 _The end. An end to thousands of years of torment and anguish. Domino City and the world is finally at rest._

Or is it? The world does keep turning, after all, and sometimes it works in mysterious ways.

The Pharaoh was put to rest and the adventure was finally, finally over...for everyone. Isis, Malik and Rishid remained in Egypt. Ryou, Honda, Anzu, Jounouchi, and Yugi returned to Domino City to live out the remainder of their high school days peacefully.

A few days later, **it** happened.

The moon eclipsed the sun and the earth bore three new bodies. They appeared from thin air, reborn and purged of the deep darkness in their hearts.

A thin, tall young man with violet, black, and yellow hair knelt on the ground of his partner's room, hands on the floor. Everything felt the same, but…different. This body was his own, there was no other presence. He took a few deep, ragged breaths before exclaiming "A-aibou?!"

"Yami…" Yugi replied, still asleep.

Slowly, he stood up and reached for the light by Yugi's bed. The light clicked on and Yami put his palm on Yugi's chest, gently shaking him.

"Yugi…Yugi…" he called softly.

This time, the boy opened his eyes, which grew three times as big when he saw the figure standing above him. "YAMI?! Yami, is it really you?!"

The young man smiled and looked down at his precious partner. "I have my own form now. I don't know how, or why, but…I am here to stay, it seems."

"Oh, Yami! I can't…I never thought I would see you again!" Yugi stood up excitedly and hugged him, fighting back tears of happiness.

The taller boy returned the embrace, hugging his former partner tight. "I thought so too. I don't know what happened, but…" he broke the hug to look down at Yugi with a huge smile. "I'm glad it did."

* * *

While one joyous reunion was taking place, two…less savory meetings were occurring.

"Hn." A grunt escaped from the thief's mouth, who caught himself on the edge of something, propping himself up with his arm.

Where was he? The room was completely dark.

He heard a half second of shuffling before light filled the room. He shielded his eyes and scowled.

"AHHHHH!" Ryou screamed, looking around for something to defend himself with. Something, anything. He quickly grabbed a flashlight, the nearest blunt object, and hopped out of bed.

"Don't come near me. **Please**." Ryou pleaded, aghast at the sight of the spirit who used to possess his body.

Bakura rose, chuckling before lifting his head to smirk at the boy. "There, there, yadonushi. Just as pathetic as ever, I see. Don't worry…I won't bite."

"I mean it!" Ryou shouted, taking a step or two back and grabbing the doorknob with his right hand. "Why are you here? What do you want with me?"

The smirk disappeared. "I'm afraid I don't have the answer to that question, hikari. I remember being cast into the shadows and then…this." He scowled, recalling the final showdown with the Pharaoh and Yugi. "But you should be grateful. You now have your precious body back." Bakura took a step towards Ryou, shaking his head back to get the hair out of his face. He looked at the boy who was cowering as if Bakura was a ghost.

Ryou began to turn the doorknob, refusing to avert his eyes from the white-haired teen before him. Bakura let out an exasperated sigh and quickly grabbed the sleeve of Ryou's night shirt. He pulled the boy back towards him, shut the door once more, and shoved him down on the bed. Bakura stood over him, crossing his arms and looking down expectantly.

"Come on. We have some talking to do."

* * *

Across oceans, in Egypt, a similar scene could be found. The evening sunlight shone through the windows of the Ishtar apartment as the unexpected happened.

"Heh heh heh." The tanned, spiky haired blonde began to cackle happily as he felt blood course through his veins once more. "I'm alive!"

Violet eyes widened as he heard an all-too-familiar voice. 'NO. NOT AGAIN!' Malik thought, but then he realized…it was coming from behind him.

He swiveled around in his office chair to see his worst nightmare come to life—again.

Malik shrieked in pure terror, standing and pointing a finger at the half of him that was once dispelled.

"Y-YOU! YOU ARE…YOU CAN'T…YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE DEAD!"

Yami Malik chuckled. "Heh. What a warm welcome from my better half! Mmm, it feels so good to be alive again!"

Both boys heard loud knocking at the locked bedroom door. "Malik! Brother, are you alright? Malik?" Isis' concerned voice made Yami Malik grin from ear to ear.

"Ah, Isis! How I've missed the sweet sound of your voice!" He strolled over to the door and turned the handle gingerly, opening the door and grinning down at the raven-haired Ishtar woman.

The look of horror on her face became anger, disgust, and hatred as he took her hand and kissed it. "My fair Isis, it's different this time. Look." Yami Malik stepped back and motioned to his hikari, who had sat back down in shock.

"I-" she started, unable to find the words. Instead she ran to stand next to her brother, leaning down and putting a hand on his arm. "Malik, did he hurt you?"

Yami Malik pouted, crossing his arms and rolling his eyes. "Hmph. No. I didn't."

Malik swallowed and stood up, brushing his sister off of him. He looked at his counterpart with cold eyes. "Why have you come back?", he asked, trying to stand his ground confidently. Isis chewed her lip nervously while plotting the best course of action in her head. Rishid wouldn't be back for a few hours and she couldn't dare leave her brother to go get the phone.

Yami Malik sighed. "I don't know why I'm here. I WAS dead, but now I'm alive. And…" He took a long pause. "Things are different now." He could no longer feel the burning hatred that fueled him previously. He felt confused, but he felt…human.

Malik wasn't having it. "You're a monster! Things can't be different…you killed my father and you—"

"Shut up!" Yami Malik interrupted the blonde and came close, putting his hands on his shoulders and looking deep into his eyes, pleading silently. "Things are different now. I can't explain it, but…they are. Before, all I wanted was revenge, but now I don't know what I want. I'm not a part of you anymore, I feel… _whole_."

Isis eyed the scene, holding her arms as if to cradle herself. What if what he's saying is true? How could he possibly have returned? None of it made sense, but a strange part of her was telling her to buy in to this insane story.

"I understand why you don't believe me. You have no reason to hold anything but contempt for me in your hearts. But I promise that things are different. I…I want nothing more than a chance to prove to you I've changed."

Malik and Isis looked at each other with worried expressions.

"And I can't feel the rod's presence anymore…or the necklace. Without those, am I really that great of a threat…Isis?" He looked straight at her, trying to sound as reasonable as possible.

"Even if you are different…why should we forgive you and let you into our lives? Are we really to let you eat our food and share our roof with you when all you've done is wreak havoc on us and those we love?" Isis asked.

"I want a chance to repent for my wrongdoings. I'll do whatever you please. Lock me up until you can trust me again or cut off a hand if you're worried about me hurting someone."

"We need to wait for Rishid," Malik said quietly to Isis.

Yami Malik and Isis sat on the floor, Isis on the far wall and the reborn Yami by the door. They settled in to wait.

The evening seemed to drag on forever. The sun set, and eventually Rishid returned. The three sat in Malik's room, silent, until the tall, tanned, tattooed man walked through the door.

"Isis? Malik?" The house was normally quiet in the evenings, but usually at least one of his siblings would greet him when they heard the door.

"In here, brother." Isis said in a dull voice.

Rishid turned the corner and was met with the sight of the blonde terror. He froze.

"What in the name of Ra?!"

Yami Malik sighed and stood. "Hello, Rishid. To make things simple—I am back. No, I do not know why, and things are different this time. I want to live a normal life."

"You…you cannot possibly live a normal life." His fright and worry turned to anger. "You are sick, twisted, demented…do you take us for **fools**?"

"You have every right to feel that way. But consider this, Rishid. You're not going to kill me. So you force me out on my own, cast out into the streets. If I am still as dangerous, still not of sound mind, would I not just torment others? Civilians?"

He paused.

"I can't say I'm completely changed, but it all feels so different."

"I don't know what to do." Malik looked at Isis and Rishid, trying to ignore his yami and think rationally. "Maybe…we should call Yugi?"

Isis nodded. "It's late there, but we should at least warn him."

Yami Malik crouched and sat once again on the floor. 'Fine.' he thought. He'll be patient.

Yami and Yugi were deep in conversation when they heard a cheerful ringing. "Who could be calling this late at night?!" Yugi exclaimed, sighing as he picked up his cell. Whoever dared to call him this late, let alone disturb his reunion with Yami, was going to pay if it wasn't an emergency.

"Hello?" He answered, feigning tiredness to guilt whoever was on the other end.

"Yugi? It's Isis. I am so sorry to wake you, but…we have a problem."

"Isis?" A pit grew in his stomach. He knew that this was bad. "What's wrong, Isis?"

"Malik's other half…he's returned. But this time he hasn't taken over Malik…he has his own body."

"WHAT?!" Yugi's eyes widened and he gave a worried look to the startled Yami, who was able to make out both ends of the conversation. He put the phone on speaker.

"Yes…but it's odd. He says that he's changed. His demeanor seems different but…we have to take precautions, obviously. We don't know what to do, and…I'm sorry, sorry to drag you into this."

"Isis." The pharaoh moved closer to the phone, taking it from Yugi's hands.

She would recognize that voice anywhere. She gasped. She paused a moment before speaking, realizing that revealing the pharaoh's existence to their guest would be anything but ideal.

"Interesting. What are your thoughts?" She hoped he would understand that she was omitting bits of what she wanted to say.

"Ahhh, you're with him, aren't you? Well, if he and I are both back to this world, chances are…the spirit of the ring is also here. But I have noticed that my soul…it feels lighter. Dark thoughts that used to plague me no longer cross my mind. It may be possible that something happened when we were brought back that changed something deep inside of us."

Isis nodded, forgetting he couldn't see her. "What do you think…Ph-Yugi?"

"I still worry for your safety," Yami said, brainstorming a solution.

Yugi chimed in. "Is it possible for you to come to Domino?"

"He doesn't have a passport." At that, Yami Malik stood up and approached Isis. "That isn't a problem."

"Hold on, Yugi." She dropped her phone arm to her waist and turned to the blonde. "What do you mean, 'That isn't a problem?'"

"I can just use Malik's. We look similar, after all."

Malik stood up. "Oh, and I'm just supposed to wait here while my brother and sister are trapped on a plane with you?"

"Yes."

The pair began bickering from across the room and Isis returned to her call with the spiky-haired pair.

"We'll find a way. I'll send you the details of our trip after it's planned. In the meantime…stay safe. It's good to speak with you again." She ended the call and returned to the scene at hand, Yami Malik replying calmly and matter-of-factly, and Malik almost shouting, scowling at his counterpart.

"There is no way in HELL that I am giving you the chance to crash that plane into the ground!"

"My, my. Someone has an active imagination."

"DON'T ACT AS IF I'M IRRATIONAL, BECAUSE THAT IS SOMETHING YOU WOULD DO!"

"That's something I _would_ have done. You're not even giving me a chance."

"You don't DESERVE a chance! I can't do this anymore…I need fresh air. If he tries anything, scream. The window is open." The blonde teen stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him as hard as he possibly could.

Isis ran a hand through her hair, trying to ignore the throbbing headache and think of a way to settle this.

"Maybe you **should** just kill me." Rishid and Isis both looked at Yami Malik, who rose and crossed his arms. "I don't belong here—I never did. I was foolish to think that any of you would ever give me a second chance after the things I've done. Especially you, Isis." He took a step towards her. "I must have hurt you the most."

"I-" He cut her off.

"You don't need to say it. I'm unwelcome. I'm just a 'problem', as you told the Japanese pipsqueak. I know you can't trust me out there or in here, so just…take me to prison. I'll spend my days locked away and you won't need to worry."

"YOU." She replied, raising her voice slightly. "I'm _trying_ to give you a chance. But don't you _dare_ interrupt me again."

His eyes widened and he looked away. "Sorry."

She swallowed and grabbed his arm. Where did all this courage come from, she wondered. "I don't trust you. How can I trust you, after everything you've done? But if you have truly changed, you can start again—at least with me. We're going to Japan. All four of us." She looked at Rishid, who simply nodded and looked away. "I can get us there quietly, but…once we're on the plane you must consent to being bound so that we can ensure a safe trip. **That's** the condition."

He couldn't help himself. He hooked a finger under her chin, forcing her eyes to meet his, grinning widely. "Why, Isis, I didn't know you were into that sort of thing. You may tie me up any time you like," he purred.

Rishid scowled and was about to interject when Isis reacted.

She quickly let go of his arm, her cheeks turning darker and darker shades of pink, and pulled away. "Y-you! Never speak to me in that manner again! Be ready to leave _tomorrow_." She noticed her young brother in the doorway and praised Ra that she was able to leave, quickly exiting the room and storming past Malik.

Not one of the three Ishtars slept that night.


	2. Awareness

A pair of wide brown eyes looked up at Bakura. He crossed his arms and tried to smile nicely at his hikari, but he could still feel it read as menacing. Oh well. He'll have to work on it.

"Listen. I'm not going to hurt you, silly Yadonushi. Sit up." Ryou cautiously did as he was told, not daring to look at the figure in front of him. He folded his hands in his lap and stared downwards at the floor. Bakura sat next to him, frowning as the boy tried to pretend that his existence was just a dream.

"Hey," Bakura snapped. He waved his hand in front of Ryou's face, then scooted a little closer and leaned in front of his gaze. "Fucking look at me when I'm talking to you."

Ryou gulped and turned to face his yami, gripping his hands together tightly in his lap. "Sorry," he whispered softly. "Um…you have a body now. Is there something else you need from me?"

Bakura began to snicker to himself. "Ra, you haven't changed one bit, hikari. Ahh…well, I don't NEED anything, per se, however I suppose I wouldn't mind getting to know the one I've possessed all these years. Hm?"

Ryou tried to read Bakura's face. No matter what he was thinking, the dark spirit almost always expressed one of three emotions—anger, annoyance, or amusement. He could never tell what Bakura was plotting even when they shared the same body.

"I…I don't know."

Bakura smirked. "You _will_ know soon. I've been far too busy to properly acquaint myself with you."

"A-and you won't be busy anymore...?" He asked timidly.

"I may loathe the Pharaoh and his little lover, but I realize now that after devoting thousands of years to his demise and having nothing to show for it that to try again would just be a waste of my precious time. History repeats itself, they say. I _know_ I'm smarter than that idiot, but he has luck, and nothing can outwit that. I take pride in the fact that I got closer than any one of those fools to taking him down." Bakura looked at his fingernails, talking about death and destruction as nonchalantly as office gossip. "So whatever. I'm back, I don't need a host, and I don't care anymore."

"Well…that's really really good…." He brightened a little and hoped that what the spirit was telling him was the truth.

"Nnn. Bakura scoffed. He was still sour about it, but maybe living like a 'normal' human wouldn't be so bad…at least until it got boring.

Ryou stifled a yawn, and realized what time it was. He's supposed to have school in the morning, dear lord! It was obvious that, at least for right now, the spirit of the millennium ring wasn't going to harm him, so…

"W-well…ah…" He didn't know how to say this without seeming rude. "I have school in the morning, but after maybe we can g-"

"School? Hikari, no. You don't need school." Bakura crossed his arms. "I'll teach you how to survive in the real world." He chuckled, picturing Ryou being his pickpocket trainee.

"But I've missed so much already because of…" He stopped himself, not wanting to get Bakura angry.

The yami either didn't care or didn't understand that it was his fault. "Good. You don't need it. What a waste of time, honestly…"

It was so weird and foreign to be having an actual conversation with the spirit that didn't revolve around demands and threats. Ryou sighed and knew he was too tired and a little too frightened to fight right now.

"I guess I can miss one more day. But I want to go back, so please let's talk about it tomorrow."

Bakura scoffed. "Fine."

Fine?! This was so unlike him, what was going on?

"Well, I _am_ really tired, so…"

"Hn. No fun, are you?" Bakura stood up and began to leave the room. "See you in the morning, yadonushi."

"Ah, one more thing!" Ryou made him stop and turn around. "What should I call you?"

"Call me Bakura."

* * *

"Wake up… _you_." The word 'you' came out as if it was directed at something subhuman.

He felt a light kick at his side. He sat up and his hands as far as they could go, taking a deep breath before opening his eyes. Yami Malik looked up and saw his lighter counterpart glaring down at him. Rishid vacated the room a few minutes ago, leaving wake-up duty to Malik.

"We're leaving for the flight in 15 minutes."

He gave a nod in agreement and decided to be on 'good behavior' today. Even if his goal was no longer to usurp the Pharaoh and rule as king doesn't mean he was a completely different person…good was still pretty boring.

"Let me borrow some clothes." The dark one rose to his knees and then stood up, looking at Malik.

Malik returned the eye contact, considering it in his head before replying. "You don't get to command me anymore. Maybe try _asking_ me for clothes."

He'd just woken up and already he was treated like he was some unwanted nuisance. All he wanted was a chance, why is this so hard? " **MAY** I **PLEASE** borrow some clothes?"

Malik walked over to his closet, grabbed boxers, a T-shirt, and a pair of khaki cargo pants. He threw them at the yami, placated.

"Ten minutes." Malik left the room, causing Yami Malik to grunt and begin to get dressed.

When he was finished, the three Ishtars were seated in the living area, waiting for him. Rishid had a rope and cable ties waiting on the table in front of him.

"You were serious." The dark one raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms.

"It's for everyone's safety." Isis replied coldly.

Rishid rose and approached Yami Malik. "Please put your hands together, behind your back."

He rolled his eyes and cooperated, Rishid binding his hands tight with the cable ties and the rope. There was no way even he could break free.

The four were picked up by a black car and taken to a small airport—Cairo was way too public. A private jet was waiting for them when they got there, arranged by Isis calling in a favor from one of the wealthier and more womanizing museum donors. One dinner with a pervert was a small price to pay for the security and discretion (and lack of passport hassle) this private jet would provide.

The trip was uneventful, and when they arrived Rishid cut the annoyed Yami Malik's bindings. The rope left indents and the flight was pretty uncomfortable.

"Now what?" He asked, rubbing his arms and glancing up at the Ishtars.

"We're going to see Yugi." Isis answered simply.


	3. Domino High

Yugi, unlike the other two hikaris, had a fantastic night. When he finally glanced over at the clock, he noticed the time and his eyes widened.

"When did it become 7 AM?!" He exclaimed, slapping a hand to his forehead. "Well, I guess it's time to get ready for school…" Yugi said sadly. He looked up at Yami, eyes pleading for 'permission' to stay home.

" _Yugi_..." Yami shook his head. "Haven't you missed too much school already? You have to go."

Yugi groaned. "But what will you do when I'm gone? We're not together anymore. And Malik is coming from Egypt today!"

Yami smiled. "I can help out your grandfather, or…hm. I don't know, I'll keep myself busy. And as for that, you KNOW that they're not going to be here until after school is over." He gave Yugi a serious look. "But you can't miss anymore school. I feel bad how much you've already missed on my account, Yugi."

"Fine…" Yugi sighed and a few minutes later, was readied for school, having packed his bag and changed into his uniform.

Yami pretended to read a random book he picked up from Yugi's shelf, but he _may_ have been watching his partner just a _little_ as the young man got changed. It was still weird seeing Yugi from a third-person perspective in reality, but he was excited to embark on this new chapter with him.

"Have a good day." Yami smiled at Yugi, who gave him a sad wave.

"Bye, Yami..." Yugi headed out the bedroom door.

'It's cute how sad he is to leave,' Yami thought, watching the young one walk away.

* * *

At Domino high school, things were business as usual. Students filed into the classroom and Yugi strolled into homeroom to see Jounouchi talking to a girl in the corner. She was sitting in the back corner desk, while he was in the one in front, chair turned around to face her. 'This is weird,' Yugi thought. The conversation looked kind of serious, so he didn't really want to interrupt. Luckily, Honda and Anzu were sitting together on the other side of the room, so he headed over there.

"Hey, guys!"

"Morning, Yugi!" Anzu stood up to give him a hug. Honda gave him a happy salute. "Yuuug!"

"Guys, you'll never guess what happened last night!" Yugi relayed everything that happened, including the return of Yami Malik. That reminded him. He looked around the room and Ryou wasn't there…

"We don't know what's going on, but…what if the spirit of the ring came back, too?" He worried aloud, looking between Anzu and Honda.

"Well…we'll fight it together. And Yami's back too, so…" Anzu smiled shyly. She was so happy—Yugi had been really sad the last few days and now he was back to his old self. Screw some spirits that had returned, they were able to beat them once so they could do it again! And she'd happily tag along for the adventure.

"Yeah, we've got your back!" Honda grinned. "Besides, you said they seemed a little different. We shouldn't worry about it just yet."

"You're right…" Yugi sighed and the three began to talk about some lighter topics.

Meanwhile, Jounouchi was staring intently at a lined notebook in between he and the girl. He then looked up at her, smiling a little nervously and rubbing his head. She was a short, petite, pale girl with large glasses rimmed with black plastic. Her long, dark brown hair was tied in two thick braids, a pink bow at each end to perfectly match the Domino uniform. She pushed one of them to her back as she listened to Jounouchi.

"Okay, can ya explain it to me again? And can you draw dat diagram from yesterday?" She nodded and began to put pencil to the lined notebook in between them. She flipped back to a page with a triangle labeled with 'hypotenuse', 'adjacent', and 'opposite'.

"Jounouchi-san, do you remember the word I taught you yesterday?" She spoke softly and sweetly. "Repeat after me. So-cah-toe-ah."

"So-cah-toe-ah." He repeated. She went on. "That word is spelt like this." She pointed to "Sohcahtoa" on the page. "It helps you remember the formulas-" She pointed to three formulas. "-that show you the ratio of the sides of a triangle based on the angle."

As she continued explaining to him, Seto Kaiba strolled in to the room. He glanced at Jounouchi sitting with the girl who transferred in a month or two prior and rolled his eyes. 'She's too good for him. Really, anyone is too good for that annoying mutt.' He thought and sat at the opposite end of the room, opening his laptop. He took this time to work on Kaiba Corporation business, while occasionally sneaking a peak at that back corner. 'They seem to be pretty chummy,' he thought. 'The idiot brigade is back there.' Then he scolded himself for wasting time thinking about their petty lives and dove back into work. Soon, the teacher entered and class began for the day.

* * *

Ryou woke up much later than usual, making a soft noise and rolling over to look at the clock. Yeah, he definitely wasn't going to school today. He stood up and changed out of his pajamas and walked into the living area of his apartment. Bakura was asleep on the couch.

Ryou softly walked by him, not wanting to wake his peaceful yami, and began to make breakfast in the kitchen. He cracked two eggs in a bowl and began to mix them with chopsticks. Then he realized…maybe he should make eggs for two. He smiled to himself, realizing that even if Bakura was a less than desirable roommate, he was no longer alone. Maybe it would even be better than expected. That was a nice thought. He cracked two more eggs into the bowl.

A few minutes later, Bakura was woken up to a light tap on the shoulder. "Hnnnn…" he groaned, rubbing an eye. "What-"

Bakura stopped himself after he opened his eyes to find Ryou standing above him, holding a plate with a perfectly folded omelet topped with ketchup, and a fork. Ryou made an apologetic face. "S-sorry, I made you breakfast and I didn't want it to get cold. I'm so sorry for waking you."

Bakura eyed the plate and sat up, taking the plate. "No meat, hm?" He pouted a little and looked up at Ryou who held his hands together. "S-sorry, Bakura." Ah, it was still kind of weird to call the spirit by a name, especially Ryou's own last name. "I'll have to go out and buy a lot more." That was fine—he had thousands saved up from over the years. He didn't eat a lot and he lived pretty frugally, so the living expenses his father sent him were more than enough to cover everything.

"Well…thanks."

"You're welcome. Anytime." Ryou smiled at Bakura and started to walk away, until Bakura grabbed his wrist.

"Eat with me, hikari."

Ryou smiled widely in return. "Yes, Bakura."


	4. What's in a name?

[LurkingReader/Guest: Thanks for taking the time to review! As for the Isis/Mariku stuff, I have decided to purely devote one chapter to that, when it's time, and I will add a disclaimer at the beginning so if you don't want to read that part of the story, you can skip over it without missing any developments among other characters. I personally feel like he's a different entity. If they were still sharing bodies, yeah, that's a little uncomfortable and not okay, and I know he's technically a manifestation of Malik, but in canon, Isis tells him "You're not my brother.". He calls her sister and everything, probably to get to her, but I think it's a little more complicated than it seems on the surface especially if he has his own body and mind. I mean honestly, there are a lot of twisted ships in this fandom, including yami/hikari ships if you really think about it. But out of consideration for everyone, again, it will only be slightly hinted at aside from the standalone chapter that I will clearly mark as the fearshipping chapter.

Also, Bakura's body is the way he was presented in the show/manga—Ryou's body when he was in 'Yami Mode'. Sorry if that wasn't necessarily clear!]

* * *

As soon as he returned home from school, Yugi decided to give Ryou a call.

It had been bugging him all day that Ryou wasn't in class, and he needed to know if he was okay—and if he was going to have to worry about not one, but two evil spirits.

"Hello?"

"Ryou! Oh, I'm so glad you're okay! Listen-"

" _Don't call here again._ "

Bakura pressed the end call button and dropped the phone on the couch, where he and Ryou had been sitting, watching the television all day.

"Bakura! Why would you do that?!" Ryou exclaimed, picking the phone back up and preparing to call Yugi again. Bakura snatched the phone from his hand and ignored the question.

"Who was on the other end?" Bakura raised an eyebrow.

"It doesn't matter, give me my phone back!"

"Are you hiding something from me, hikari?" He smirked. Bakura didn't have a mind link with Ryou anymore, so he had to rely on the old-fashioned way of gathering information.

"No! It doesn't matter who called me, okay!" Ryou reached over and snatched his phone back. His face suddenly became incredibly serious and he made eye contact with Bakura. "Listen…if you want to be friends, you can't do this anymore. I'm _going_ back to school. I'm _talking_ to whoever I want, and YOU can't control me." Ryou stopped for a second, scolding himself for speaking so harshly with Bakura, who was still _very_ dangerous.

Bakura's eyes widened for a moment, then he began to laugh maniacally. Ryou gave Bakura an incredulous look. "Oh my RA, hikari, your face is PRICELESS when you're angry." He grinned at Ryou and crossed his arms. "You are incapable of being threatening."

A relieved look spread across Ryou's face, but he was still upset. "You know what, fine, I don't care, but I meant e-" Ryou paused when his phone began to ring again. "I'm going to take this outside." He stood up and walked out the door of his apartment. Of course, Bakura was going to follow him, he just didn't want Ryou to know he was being followed.

"Hello?"

"Hey Yugi. I am so, SO sorry about that…"

"Ryou, are you okay?" Yugi sounded very concerned.

"Yes, I'm fine. He's actually acting really different…I don't quite well understand it…but I don't think he'll hurt me…"

"Are you sure? I guess I should tell you that he's not the only one that's back. The same thing happened with me and Malik."

Ryou gasped. "Really? There must be a reason that this happened, then, right?"

"Yeah, but I'm not going to question it…I just want to make sure everyone's safe. Are you SURE you have it under control?"

"Yeah, I'm sure. I didn't go to school today because we were hanging out. It's actually really nice, honestly." He made sure to omit the part where Bakura _forced_ him not to go.

"Huh. Okay. Well you know where to find me if you need anything…will you be at school tomorrow?"

"Yeah, I'll see you there."

"Alright. Have a good day, Ryou."

"Bye, Yugi!"

Bakura quickly returned back to the apartment, grinning to himself. He'd win over his cute little Ryou in time.

Yugi hung up and looked at Yami. "I guess he's okay."

Yami nodded. "But if he doesn't show up to class tomorrow, let me know and I will pay them a visit."

Yugi smiled, but was still concerned. "All right…what did you do today, Yami?"

"I got some rest after our long night, and when I woke up, I explained everything to your grandfather and let him know. He seemed pleased…" A little too pleased, honestly. Solomon was overjoyed and forced Yami to play cards with him all day, so he didn't have much time to consider what to do when the Ishtars arrived. It took a lot of convincing, but Yami got the old man to spend the night elsewhere just in case the meeting went awry.

The pair ate an early meal in anticipation of their guests, and soon the ragtag group of Tombkeepers were at the door of the game shop. Isis and Rishid bowed slightly, while Yami Malik folded his arms and Malik gave a small wave.

"Hello, Yugi and Pharaoh. It's good to see you again. Thank you for meeting with us on such short notice," Isis said, smiling softly at the two boys.

"Not a problem!" Yugi motioned for the four to come inside, looking a little suspiciously at the tall, spiky-haired blonde. They followed him upstairs to the living quarters and they all took a seat on the floor.

"No one told me the pharaoh was back as well." Yami Malik hissed quietly, almost pouting and keeping his arms crossed.

Yami heard the remark and looked at everyone. "It is not only the two of us-" He motioned to himself and Yami Malik. "-that have returned, but the spirit of the millennium ring also lives outside of a host."

Isis gasped. "What could this mean, pharaoh?"

"I don't know. We were told that he also means no harm, but we must be cautious." Yami glanced at Yami Malik.

Yami Malik cleared his throat to get attention and snarled. "I did _not_ agree to come here so that you can discuss me as if I'm an animal. I've been more than cooperative with you all and I don't _appreciate_ being treated like this. I've already made it clear that I'll do what you ask, so I don't know why we're even here."

"We're here because you can't be trusted," replied Malik with a glare. "After what you did you should be grateful you're here at all."

"I told you, it's _different_ now."

"Is it? IS it different? What makes you so sure you won't-"

"STOP IT." Isis hissed, interrupting the arguing. "We won't get anywhere if this continues on."

"She's right." Rishid nodded in agreement.

Yami looked pointedly at Yami Malik. "If you have truly changed, what is it you want now? What kind of life are you interested in leading if it's not one of evil and destruction?"

Yami Malik looked at the floor. He never really considered what he _wanted_ , he just knew that he didn't want the same things as before.

"I don't know. A chance at life, I suppose? I could ask the same of you, pharaoh."

Yami's eyes widened. He hadn't really given it much thought, he just accepted that he'd live with Yugi and…that's what mattered to him…a light blush crept across his face, but he pushed those thoughts away for an inner battle later tonight. Right now he had to deal with this situation.

He cleared his throat. "Can you see why we're having a hard time with believing this, ah…?" Yami paused and realized that he didn't have a name. He couldn't refer to him as Malik… "What is your name?"

Yami Malik looked shocked and stared at Yami for a moment. "Marik…u. Mariku."

The entire room looked at him, some skeptical, some confused. It certainly diffused the tension.

Yugi cautiously smiled. "That's nice."

"I think…it suits him." Isis looked away, at the door, uncomfortable saying something positive about him.

A few seconds later, the silence was broken by uncontrollable laughter. Malik was rolling on the floor, clutching his stomach. "DEAR RA. MARIKU! HAHAHAHA!" When he finally stopped laughing, he looked around the room, questioning with his eyes. "Are you serious? That name is so CUTE. Does no one else find it funny?"

Mariku's face, red with embarrassment, was a mix of anger and shame. "Everyone else seems to like it." His eyes narrowed at Malik.

"If you picked out a name like that, maybe you have changed." Malik grinned at Mariku and wiped a tear from his eye.

"I have."

Malik gave him a serious look. "If you make **one** mistake, you are gone. I will personally make sure you can't hurt anyone ever again."

"I agree to those terms."

"You don't have a choice but to agree to them." Isis chimed in, making fleeting eye contact.

Rishid crossed his arms. "If Isis and Malik believe it is acceptable…I will not fight their judgement."

"Thank you." Mariku replied, looking seriously at all 3 of the Ishtars. "I appreciate the chance."

For another hour or two, the tomb keeper crew, Yami, and Yugi, discussed plans. They were going to permanently move to Domino, for safety and convenience. After all, if the spirit of the ring wasn't cooperative, Yugi and the gang would need all the help they could get. Once it was all said and done, the four made their way to a nearby hotel and parted ways with Yami and Yugi.

After the door was shut, Yami put a hand on Yugi's shoulder. "Aibou, great work today."

"You too, Yami." Yugi yawned. "I really need to get to bed, though, I didn't get to sleep last night, if you remember."

"Ah, yes." Yami smiled at the shorter boy. "Get some rest and I'll see you tomorrow, Yugi."

Yugi beamed at Yami. "I will see you tomorrow. And the next day, and the next day! Now that we're separate, we can take on anything even easier than before. I'm so glad you're back."

Yami blushed slightly and gave Yugi a genuine, bright smile. "I'm glad too, Aibou."

As Yugi walked into his bedroom and Yami was getting ready to sleep on the couch, the smile faded from Yami's face. He had a lot of things to work out in his head before he could let himself rest. It was going to be a long night…


	5. Meetings

The teen pulled his long, black hair into a ponytail, letting many long strands of hair fall over his red-and-black headband. He put in an earring with a single die dangling from his ear. He was ready for class.

He strolled out the door and leaned against a streetlight. He waited for a few minutes.

"Otogi!" Honda smacked him on the back, giving him a giant grin. "Glad you're coming today, man! There's some crazy shit going on, I gotta fill you in!"

"What did I miss?" Otogi was now disappointed he had to skip school yesterday—he was training a new daytime manager for the shop, so that came before class in terms of priorities. Not to mention, he also enjoyed his morning walk with Honda.

"Dude!" On the way to school, Honda told him about the return of the spirits—and he managed to mention Jounouchi's new 'girlfriend' as well.

"Her? Oh man, never took her as his type!"

"Yeah, it's crazy, right?"

They walked into the classroom and Honda tapped Otogi on the shoulder, motioning with his head to look over at the back corner—Jounouchi was entranced in what this girl was saying.

"Mess with him?" Honda asked, grinning impishly.

"Definitely." Otogi nodded, and they both walked over. Jounouchi noticed the movement and looked up, glaring at the two. The girl paused talking and also looked at Otogi and Honda.

"Jeez, when are you gonna introduce us, Jou?" Honda smirked, nudging Jounouchi with his shoulder.

"Yeah, especially when she's this cute." Otogi took her chin in his hand and smiled at her.

Jounouchi smacked Otogi's hand and stood up. "Would you two stop? She's my tutor, NOT my girlfriend!" He crossed his arms and gave the pair an angry look.

"I-I'm Segawa Miki, by the way…" She gave a small wave.

Jounouchi smacked his forehead. "Sorry, Segawa-san. This is Otogi Ryuji and Honda Hiroto. Just ignore them."

She smiled and adjusted her glasses. "It's not a problem. I have a younger brother, so I'm used to being teased."

"Ahh, you'll fit right in, then!" said Honda, who extended his hand to her. "Jou, take a break and let us introduce her to Yugi and Anzu! She's always complaining she doesn't have girl friends."

"Fine…" Jounouchi sighed, thinking about his math test next week.

More introductions were had, and the group began to chatter away as usual, then Ryou walked in.

"Ryou!" Yugi waved him over.

"Ah, hey!" Ryou set down his books in his back-row seat, then joined the group.

"Are you feeling okay?"

"Yeah, fine actually! Like I said yesterday, things are weird but different."

"Good! Oh, this is Segawa Miki, by the way!"

She bowed slightly and shook Ryou's hand. "Hello!"

He bowed in return and smiled. "Nice to meet you."

"Are you new? I don't remember seeing you around."

Ryou laughed. "I get sick a lot, but rest assured, I am back for the rest of the year!" He noticed her necklace. "Is that what I think it is?"

She blushed slightly. "Yeah, this is the necro seal! I thought it was inconspicuous enough, but you caught me. I love Dungeon Adventures!"

For the next few minutes they tuned everyone out and began to talk about the RPG. The teacher came in and began to instruct the class; since Ryou really didn't have a normal seat, he took the one in the back corner next to Miki. For the rest of first period, Ryou and Miki passed notes back and forth, excitedly writing about their campaigns playing the game. They made plans to visit a game shop together after school.

Things were still uneasy amongst the tomb keepers, but conditions were improving.

"Ra, this is some good curry!" Mariku was eating quickly and sloppily, like he was starved. Rishid and Malik eyed him curiously.

"That's your fourth bowl." Malik said matter-of-factly.

"So? It's amazing!"

"You're going to empty our bank account if you eat like this at every meal." Isis said, taking a bite of her fish. The movers would arrive later in the week, so for now, they were eating out for food.

Mariku sighed. "Fine, this is my last bowl…" He set down the completely emptied dish and laced his fingers behind his head, leaning back.

"Does this mean I'm going to high school?" Malik asked, changing the subject.

"Yes. You will attend Domino High." Isis replied.

"If you'd like, Isis, I can continue to tutor him." Rishid chimed in.

"No! Rishid, I'd like to go. All of my friends are in school, after all." Malik replied, feeling bad about rejecting his offer but wanting to get a true high school experience.

"Very well." Rishid nodded.

"Can I go?" Mariku asked, chuckling a little. "It seems fun."

"No, you can't _go_. Don't be ridiculous." Malik snapped at him, giving Mariku a stern look.

"But why not? I can pass as a high school student."

Isis sighed. "You can't go. We'll find something for you to do. Maybe you can help me in the museum?" She winced a little, the suggestion came out of her mouth before she realized what she was saying.

As much as he'd like to spend all day with Isis, that was not the ideal place to do it. "No thank you. I'll find something to 'keep me out of trouble', don't worry." He grinned. Maybe he'd take an excursion tomorrow to go find his old spirit friend and gloat. That would be amusing.


End file.
